Sixteen
by Crickett9
Summary: 16 words, 2 people, many stories, 1 love.


A/N: I am sorry that I haven't really been faithful to my promise of writing more this summer. All of the sudden, school's around the corner and I've only done two pieces my whole break. Sigh. Well, anyways, this isn't really a story, but my usual Percabeth fluff is still the main component. This is a 16 word prompt. 16 words because Percy turns 16 when the prophecy is fulfilled. I took The Last Olympian, started at the beginning and went to every eighth page (8 letters in ANNABETH), and chose random word from the fifth sentence (5 letters in PERCY). I'm pretty sure I had to steal one word form a fourth or sixth line because the fifth line on one page had a single word that I already used, but that doesn't really matter. Thank you SO MUCH to all who read and review! Hope you enjoy! Percy and Annabeth belong to Rick Riordan.

_**her- **_When Percy happens to be angry because one of Annabeth's ingenious schemes has worked but ends up getting him in trouble, this word is practically spit out of his mouth. "It was _her _idea!" On the other hand, when her plans work (well, they always do), and is, let's say, beneficial, to Percy, he rolls the word off his tongue, pride practically radiating from his throat where the word formed. "It was _her_ idea."

_**billboard- **_When on the way to the airport to make their honeymoon trip to Greece, Percy points at a billboard, advertising that their airline is considered the safest, according to J.D. Powers and Associates. "Zeus doesn't give a crap about J. D. Powers. He could still blast any plane out of the sky with his pinky, no matter how industrial and "safe" it is!" Annabeth, silent, grabs a small piece of paper from her pocket. She hands it to Percy. "Our wedding gift. From Zeus." It is a formal contract, with Zeus' signature on the bottom, promising them safe air travel to and from Greece. Percy smirks. "I don't know how you managed this Wise Girl, but get ready to take your _last_ safe air trip. You know how Zeus is. We'll have to drive everywhere from now on." Annabeth smiles to herself, almost laughing at how Percy guessed the exact terms on which she secured the contract. She has already started looking into hybrid cars. "Well, there's always Blackjack."

_**torn-**_ As she struggles to keep her footing while balancing the world on her shoulders, Annabeth is torn- inside and out. One word takes a circuitous route over and over through her weary brain. _Percy._ If anyone can sew her back together, it's him.

_**gut-**_ Whenever Percy uses his powers, the tug in his gut seems to loosen a little with each time- his powers are finally molding themselves into what fits him and his body. Of course, being invulnerable helps. A lot. But the feeling in his gut whenever Annabeth gently traces her fingers across the small of his back never lessens. Of course, though, he doesn't mind.

_**anybody-**_ Whether you simply pass the couple consisting of a raven-haired boy and stormy-eyed girl while walking the busy streets of NYC, or are a camper at Camp Half Blood and witness their friendly banter and sneaked hand-holds or chaste kisses, you can see the love. Anybody can.

_**brain-**_ Annabeth had always trusted her brain. It kept her grounded, living. Her mother is the goddess of wisdom, after all. But that all changed when Percy came along. Her heart speaks a little louder when he's around, and she lets it, momentarily silencing her brain.

_**pity-**_ Annabeth hates being pitied. But, when she is 8 months pregnant with her husband's "spawn of the sea", she takes advantage of Percy's pity of her swollen ankles and aching back. She needs only to look at him, and he will be up to grab the car keys to head to the supermarket for whatever she is craving. The kitchen, usually orderly, neat, and containing "normal" food is now filled with various brands of chocolate, a giant jar of pickles, several half-eaten cans of tuna, and a bowl containing Annabeth's latest "craving concoction", basically everything just listed all mixed together. Percy has taken to eating at drive-thrus and hot dog stands, as he does not care for tuna-chocolate delight. As Annabeth spoons the "salad" into her mouth, she decides that pity can come in hand, every once in a while.

_**stupid-**_ Percy has only once thought of a plan of Annabeth's as stupid. When she had considered joining the Hunters. _You'll always have _me,_ Annabeth._

_**son-**_ In the beginning, Percy never imagined what it would turn out like, being the son of a god. Of course, when he first found out, he was not the least bit comfortable with his parentage. He would way rather be the son of a nobody. Of a man who went to work, made money, put dinner on the table for his family. But, of course, these feelings changed over time. And even now, as he glances down at his own son, bundled in a small blue blanket, and his wife, asleep in the hospital bed, curly blond hair sweaty and strewn out about the pillow, he realizes that he would not have this beautiful gift if it weren't for his father. Never meeting Annabeth, never training with Chiron, never romping with Mrs. O'Leary, never looking down at the tiny bundle with a tuft of black hair and eyes that, he swears, are already changing from the standard newborn blue to stormy grey. _Thanks, Dad._

_**funny-**_ Percy does not find it amusing to wake up with blue hair. His cabin door is still shut, no traces of the perpetrator left behind. Wait a second. Percy runs to his small box of toiletries and digs until he finds the bottle of shampoo. It has a dark blue tint that he didn't notice last night when the lights in the shower house mysteriously went out. But that was just a power glitch. Right? Not. There's a knock at the door. Glancing out the window, Percy sees that it's Annabeth. Perfect. "Hey, Seawee- I mean, um," (here she tries to suppress a giggle) "Smurf. What _happened_?" Percy rolls his eyes. "The Stolls happened." Annabeth eyes glint with a familiar light. He can practically see the gears in her head turning. "You want revenge, right? Well, I think I have an idea."

_**lives-**_ When Annabeth was little, she imagined herself thousands of different, happy lives. From a lawyer to a flower-shop owner (they always seemed to be in such good moods), she had imagined them all. The architect dream didn't come until later. But, never had she imagined a life this happy. But of course, Percy hadn't been in the equation when she had her childhood dreams. And Percy is her happiness.

_**imagined-**_ Chiron had never imagined how well the son of Poseidon and the daughter of Athena would get along. In fact, he expected them to rip each other's heads off (well, they do come close a few times, but they always patch it up eventually- they are both just so _stubborn_.) Chiron has rarely been so wrong about something in his life, but there's always a first time for everything. He knows that now.

_**loves-**_ It's a major understatement to simply say that Percy loves Annabeth. It is also a major understatement to simply say that Annabeth loves Percy.

_**picture-**_ That picture of Annabeth that caused Percy so much trouble with the "bullies" in junior high still hides in his bedside drawer. Whenever he opens the drawer and sees that young, yet seemingly all-knowing face smiling at him, he'll glance at his wife and smile. While everything has changed, sometimes it feels like nothing has.

_**traitor-**_ She screams at him. "You jerk! How could you do this?" Percy sheepishly stares at his feet. How was he supposed to know that sending a picture to Thalia of a sleeping Annabeth with a small trail of drool on her chin would cause it to wind up in almost everyone's inbox? Annabeth throws a pillow at Percy, showing him that she forgives him, but he'll have to pay for it. Of course, Percy will make Thalia pay for it, too.

_**reading-**_ Annabeth spent a good forty-percent of her life reading. But, as she lays content in Percy's arms, his warm breath tickling her ear, she realizes that books can't teach you everything. In fact, they teach you so little about what can end up being the most important thing in your life. Sometimes you just have to learn form experience. Annabeth snuggles closer to Percy and shuts her eyes.


End file.
